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Council committee reviews Lake Whatcom private-property retrofit options; no program changes recommended
Summary
The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee discussed options to retrofit private properties in the city’s portion of the Lake Whatcom watershed, but staff recommended no program changes pending monitoring and reassessment results.
The Bellingham Public Works and Natural Resources Committee discussed potential water-quality retrofit options for private properties within the city’s portion of the Lake Whatcom watershed and reported that staff are not recommending new or changed programs at this time.
Committee chair Council Member Hannah Stone told the council that the item was for information and discussion only and that staff want to evaluate the effects of recent changes before proposing further action. Staff said they are awaiting results from monitoring of stormwater-treatment performance, the January 2025 changes to the homeowner incentive program (HIP), and a reassessment of the Lake Whatcom total maximum daily load (TMDL) before recommending programmatic changes.
Staff described two key changes already adopted in January 2025: an increase in the HIP reimbursement rate from $1.60 per square foot to $2.00 per square foot and an expansion of the reimbursable program to include multifamily properties within the watershed. The Whatcom Conservation District has been charged with increased customer outreach and assistance to encourage participation in the voluntary HIP program. Committee members and staff emphasized that the HIP program remains voluntary and that further action will depend on the reassessment and monitoring data collected through the TMDL cycle.
Nut graf: The discussion updates council members on how the city intends to use monitoring and reassessment data to guide future work in the Lake Whatcom watershed; no regulatory or funding changes were proposed at this meeting.
Additional details
- Presentation and discussion: Staff reported the city will follow a roughly 10-year TMDL cycle and intends to review recent monitoring and program changes before adopting new requirements or programs. - Reimbursement rate: increased to $2.00 per square foot for eligible retrofits (from $1.60). - Program scope: HIP changes now apply to single-family and multifamily properties in the watershed. - Outreach and implementation: Whatcom Conservation District will assist with customer service and program outreach to increase participation. - Action taken: Information and discussion only; no council action recorded.
Ending: Staff said they expect to return with monitoring results and any recommended changes after evaluating the outcomes of the recent HIP adjustments and the Lake Whatcom TMDL reassessment.
